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Video Captioning

1. Utilize priority registration to register for classes as early as possible.

2. After you have registered for classes contact your professor for each class, please copy Accessible Media (dres-accessible-media@illinois.edu) and your access specialist, and explain your accommodation for video captioning. Here is a sample email you could use to contact your professors.

3. Ask your professor if they will be utilizing any videos throughout the semester.

4. If your professor is using videos during the semester thank them and tell them the Office of Accessible Media will be in contact with them. Then email AMS and your case manager to share which class and professor is using videos.

5. If your professor is not using videos thank them and ask them to contact you if that changes so you can be sure the videos are captioned.

6. If your professor does not respond within one week, or if there is not a professor listed for your class, please contact your DRES access specialist, who will follow up with your professor.

In accordance with federal law, ALL INSTRUCTORS (as agents of the University) are required to make all classroom materials available to students with disabilities at the same time that it is made available to all other students. All videos and/or clips that you plan to show during the semester must be checked by you for closed captioning. In the event that any videos (whether shown in class, or assigned outside of class) are scheduled to be shown, please follow these instructions:

1. Check your videos to ensure that they are captioned.

· If you are checking a video out from the library their web page will list whether the video is closed captioned.

· If the video is a web-based video, check for captioning when it's playing online.

2. If any of your videos are NOT captioned, there are several things you can do:

· Check to see if the library owns a copy of the video already captioned. We will not caption a video that the library already has available with captioning. If the library owns the video, but it is not captioned, let us know and we will have the library send it to us for captioning. Then you would check it out from the library as usual.

· If your video was taped from your television, we cannot caption it due to copyright restrictions. You would need to see if the video is in the library or can be rented or purchased already captioned.

· If the library does not own it, you should request that the library purchase the video.

· If it is available captioned, they can loan it to you as soon as it's received. If it is available for purchase, but not captioned, then the video can still be requested as a new purchase from the library. They will send it to us for captioning, and you would just check out the video from the library.

· If you personally own the video, we can do the captioning here, provided that there is not a version available for purchase already captioned. In this instance, you should be aware, that due to copyright restrictions, only one version of the video can be in circulation. This means that we cannot give you both the captioned and the uncaptioned videos. We are required to keep the original copy (we will return to you the case that the video came in).

Please be aware that we must obtain copyright approval from the copyright holders before we can caption the video. This can take 6-8 weeks, so keep this in mind when you are considering videos to be shown.

While we realize that instructors want to show the most relevant, up-to-date videos that they can find, it will now become imperative that some planning ahead take place. In the event that you might find a video after this 6-8 week time period, please contact us as soon as possible to inquire about options. Showing videos in the classroom, when there is an identified student with a hearing impairment in the class is not only bad practice, but could put the university at risk for a federal complaint. We will work with instructors to come up with a viable solution.

Material can be sent to Ann Fredricksen at dres-accessible-media@illinois.edu or to the Accessible Media Office at Disability Resources and Educational Services, MC-574. I can also be reached at 244-5785.

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE IN TURNING ON CAPTIONS FOR YOUR VIDEOSDownload this Word document (.doc) to learn how to turn captions on in Media Player, Real Player, Flash, and QuickTime.

Note, for non-DRES-student material, AMS is not responsible for gaining copyright approval to caption the material. If you submit a video by using this form, you are agreeing that either you, your department, or the University owns copyright or you have obtained permission for us to caption and digitize your material.

Check to see if the library owns a copy of the video already captioned. We will not caption a video that the library already has available with captioning. If the library owns the video, but it is not captioned, let us know and we will have the library send it to us for captioning. Then you would check it out from the library as usual.

If your video was taped from your television, we cannot caption it due to copyright infringement. You would need to see if the video is in the library or can be rented or purchased already captioned.

If it is available captioned, they can loan it to you as soon as it's received. If it is available for purchase, but not captioned, then the video can still be requested as a new purchase from the library. They will send it to us for captioning, and you would just check out the video from the library.

If you personally own the video and you would like us to caption the video, assuming it does not fall under any of the above scenarios, and you purchased the video with a public performance/education license, then we can caption the video once you obtain permission from the copyright holder. Please look at the video and casing for copyright information and contact the copyright holder. A sample email request for DVD/VHS media or for online links are attached.

Please be aware that copyright approval must obtain from the copyright holders before we can caption the video. This can take 6-8 weeks, so keep this in mind when you are considering videos to be shown. We use standards put forth in the DCMP’s Captioning Key.

If you created the video yourself, and you used commercial material, including music, copyright approval has to be obtained for these as well, unless the material falls under Fair Use. Staff members in the AMS office are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice on whether or not something falls under fair use but you can use the Fair Use Evaluator hosted by the American Library Association or contact Legal Counsel.

DRES will bill on a quarterly basis on what media has been completely processed. The rate for captioning is currently $2.90 per minute of video with a minimum charge per video of $15.00. If you provide us with a 'good' transcript, the cost is $1.50 per minute of video. DRES will begin charging starting January 1, 2015. The first bill will be submitted at the end of the first quarter.

You may outsource your material to be captioned by an outside company. There are many companies out there and DRES does not endorse or suggest one vendor over another. We do have a list of questions that we think you should ask and consider in purchasing quality captions. The list can be found here.

You may also caption your own videos. You may schedule an appointment with our office and we would be happy to talk you through your options.

If you have media that was created at the University that is on VHS tapes, we can convert these tapes to a digital format (either electronic or DVD). Please use this form. You will then need to setup a time to drop off your material. Please email USwith some times that you would be available to come to our office. For digitization, we ask that you provide the discs on which we will burn the media. Note that we do have a DVD printer and if you would like the DVD information printed to the disc, you should provide printable DVDs

Accessibile Media Services is located at the Rehabilitation Education Center at 1207 South Oak Street in Champaign. Our room numbers are 85.

Please note that we cannot digitize copyrighted material that can be purchased on DVD. If you need assistance in purchasing material, please talk to your department office or staff members in the library.